Impetigo Symptoms Pictures

A gallery of impetigo pictures.

Impetigo symptoms are not something a sufferer can ignore. However, impetigo symptoms are easily misinterpreted as pertaining to another problem entirely. Thus, the only way of truly diagnosing impetigo visually is by looking at impetigo symptoms pictures and comparing those images to what the patient presents with.

Just like there are two types of impetigo, each caused by different bacteria, there are two main categories of impetigo symptoms. First of all, though, the two types of impetigo are bullous impetigo (caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus Group A) and non - bullous impetigo (caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes). Therefore, a person should always keep in mind that the difference between the two types of impetigo symptoms is small, but essential for the attending physician. If you describe the impetigo symptoms properly, your dermatologist will be able to recommend you the best course of treatment possible.

Impetigo symptoms pictures

The most common form of impetigo is that of non - bullous impetigo. The impetigo symptoms that characterize this type of impetigo are the following:

Red, small dots: they tend to appear on the skin surrounding the nose, the mouth and the chin. Also, they might show up on the patients' shoulders, neck and cleavage. Sometimes, if the disease spreads too fast for containment, the spots will make their way up unto the scalp. One thing that is important to know about these dots: they itch very badly. Never, ever, under no circumstances, should you scratch that particular itch. There are two things that can happen if you scratch the infected skin. First, you will spread the infection, making it harder for your dermatologist to fight it properly. Secondly, scratching it only makes it itch harder. Continue to scratch it and you risk damaging your skin permanently. Many people have ended up with scars from impetigo, not due to the skin disease, but due to their constant scratching.

Fever: though rarer and present only in some rather serious cases, fever is one of the impetigo symptoms that patients do not even want to picture. Just as usual, fever is a bad sign. The problem is that, as long as they stay at the surface of your skin, the bacteria are not able to cause more trouble than the red, itching dots. However, if the condition is left untreated for large amounts of time, the pathogen agents start to get bothersome. If they manage to penetrate the blood vessels' walls and enter the bloodstream, the problems they can cause are monumental. Staphylococcus aureus in your blood spells a potentially lethal infection, while Streptococcus pyogenes can lead to gangrene.

Swollen glands: this is a side effect of the fever. Once the temperature rises, your body responds by trying to protect itself. One of the ways of conserving water and not dehydrate is to store it in glands. Thus, they swell. This process hurts since glands are not supposed to be larger than normal, thus making the impetigo symptoms even harder to ignore.

Bullous impetigo has similar symptoms, only slightly more accentuated. Of course, there is an actual reason why it is called bullous and that is a new impetigo symptom developed only by bullous impetigo sufferers:

Small, liquid - filled pustules: they appear in the same initial areas as the red dots, but they have an extra component. The liquid makes them the nastier version of the innocent dots. That fluid contains the pathogen agent, but in a concentrated form, easily spread if the sack is broken. Thus, try to avoid rupturing the pustules and spreading the infection.